Apparatus for handling metallic workpieces



' Sept. 20, 1966 APPARATUS FOR rfimnpmc METAL IC WORKPI'ECES 111w June 16, 1964 I r H I '7 s S m an-Sheet] 1 I INVENTORS KARL E. BUECHTING JOSEPH 2 Mc HALE 'fH EIRATTORNEY K. E. EIUECh- I TI NQ 7 Sept. 20, 1966 K. E. BUECHTING ETAL 3,273,724

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METALLIC WORKPIECES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 16, 1964 mm MQE INVENTORS KARL E. BUECHTING JOSEPH P. MC HALE L 4; flux; THEIR ATTORNEY p 1966 K. E. BUECHTING ETAL 3,273,724

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METALLIC WORKPIECES Filed June 16, 1964 Z- Sheets-Sheet 3 FIG. 5

FIG. 4

INVENTORS KARL E. BUECHTING ALE BY JOSEPH F. MCH

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THE] ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,273,724 APPARATUS FOR HANDLING METALLIC WORKPIECES Karl Ernst Buechting, Bethe! Boro, and Joseph Paul McHale, Bethel Park, Pittsburgh, Pa., assignors to United Engineering and Foundry Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed June 16, 1964, Ser. No. 375,502 Claims priority, application Great Britain, July 1, 1963, 25,980/ 63 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) The present invention relates to an apparatus for handling metallic workpieces and, more particularly, to" an apparatus for guiding, positioning and manipulating heated workpieces, such as billets, blooms, ingots, and the like, incident to processing thereof by a rolling mill.

Such an apparatus, commonly referred to in the trade as side guards and/or manipulators, are well known in the art, being employed to guide, position and turn billets, for example, between Ialternate passes in the operation of a reversing rolling mill. In a typical arrangement the mill is provided with entry and delivery roller tables, the rollers of which are reversibly driven to alternately direct the workpiece to and from the mill during each reduction pass. The side guards or manipulators in cooperation with each table consist of a pair of adjustable side guard heads arranged to pass over the upper surfaces of the rollers to transversely position and longitudinally guide the workpiece relative to the mill. It is also sometimes necessary to turn the workpiece about its longitudinal axis which is accomplished usually by .a pair of cooperative, retractable manipulating arms or fingers which engage one corner of and lift the workpiece a sufiicient distance to facilitate the turning thereof.

Because of the continuous shock and pounding to which the side guards and manipulators are subject, prior arrangements including their drives, were made of massive construct-ion, particularly, but not necessarily, when extremely large heavy workpieces were being rolled. Such a construction, in addition to adding considerably to the cost of the rolling mill, consumes a large amount of valuable space in the immediate area of the mill.

The rigorous treatment to which the side guards and manipulator are subject caused repeated failure of certain parts, particularly the driving elements thereof, not- 4 withstanding their massive construction. One cause of this failure is contributed to the inadvertent jamming of the arms and fingers between the workpiece and side guards when the space between these members is not sufiicient to allow the workpiece to be rotated.

Certain rolling mills point up another disadvantage of present side guards and manipulators. In this regard reference is made to mills designed to roll structural shapes in addition to billets and blooms wherein it is necessary to alter the pass line of the mill, which requires a corresponding adjustment of the elevation of the entry and delivery mill tables. In this rolling practice, present-day side guards and manipulators are not constructed and arranged so that they can be quickly moved, without requiring any disassembling, to a position not to interfere with the adjustment of the height of the tables.

It is a principal object of the present invention to provide a side guard and manipulator wherein the elements are compactly arranged and possess the minimum of weight and which in addition are very efiicient in operation in comparison with known apparatus.

It is another object of the present invention to pro vide a compact and economical arrangement for driving and synchronously operating the side guards and/or manipulator.

, 3,273,724 Patented Sept. 20, 1966 It is a further object of the present invention to provide a pair of side guards, including at least one manipulator, which are so constructed and arranged that they can be moved quickly, without any disassembling, to one side of an associated roller table.

It is another object of the present invention to so construct and arrange the cooperative side guards so that any shock forces taken by the side guards are self-contained within the side guards themselves. In the preferred form, a yieldable means is provided within the self contained force system that relieves the excessive forces before they threaten damage to the parts of the apparatus.

According to one form of the present invention, there is provided in combination with the roller table a pair of relatively movable side guards, a manipulator cooperatively associated with one of the side guards, the side guards and manipulator being so constructed and arranged relative to the table so as to be quickly retractable to an inoperative position at one side of the roller table, independent driving means for moving each of the side guards located at a common side of the roller table, a movable ram drivenly connected to one of the driving means, said ram connected to one of the side guards and arranged to carry the other side guard, and its driving means.

In another form of the present invention the driving means for the side guard that is carried by the ram is adapted to yield when the side guard is subject to excessive shock forces.

The foregoing objects of the invention, as well as others, will become more apparent from the following description and accompanying drawings of which:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a side guard and manipulator device incorporating the features of the present invention,

FIGURE 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, taken along lines II-II of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken along lines III--III of FIGURE 1,

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken along lines 1VIV of FIGURE 2, and

FIGURE 5 is a sectional view taken along lines V-V of FIGURE 2.

With reference to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is illustrated in connection with a rolling mill, not shown, a workpiece table 11, having a plurality of rollers 12 rotatably supported at their opposite ends in bearing block assemblies secured to parallel extending table girders 13 shown only in FIGURE 2. It is to be appreciated that the rollers 12 are driven by suitable drive means not shown. Arranged above the workpiece engaging surfaces and perpendicular to the axes of the rollers 12 are opposed elongated side guard heads 14 and 15. The side guard heads which move relative to each other, are shown in their operative positions with respect to the table 11 in FIGURE 1 and similarly phantom lines in FIGURE 2. The head 14 is secured to the outer ends of a pair of fabricated H-shaped traversing rams 16 and 17 having upper and lower horizontal flanges 18 and 19, which are best shown in FIGURE 5.

As illustrated in FIGURE 1 these rams are arranged in a parallel relationship on a common side of the roller table 1 1 and each are carried and guided by individual bases 21 and 22. The supporting portions of each base as FIGURE 2 shows actually consists of two spacedapart rotatable rollers 23 and 24. The rollers 23 located at the front of the rams, as best shown in FIGURE 4, are rotatably supported by bearings 25 in bearing blocks 26 received in and secured to the bases 21 and 22. Guides in the form of elongated wear plates 27 attached to the bases engage the vertical surfaces of the flanges 19 of the rams 16 and 17 for guiding them in a longitudinal direction. FIGURE best illustrates one of the support rollers 24, which is located toward the back of the base, and which comprise an arbor 24a rotatably secured by bearings 28 in bearing blocks 29 received in and secured to the base. The rollers 24 additionally comprise spacedapart load supporting collars 31 arranged at each side of pinions 32 formed on the arbors 24a.

Meshing with the pinions 32 are elongated racks 33 affixed to the underside of the flanges 19 of the rams 16 and 17 where there is also provided, at each side of the racks 33, suitable horizontal surfaces for engagement with each of the collars 31. It is to be pointed out that the collars 31 not only support the load imposed by the rams, but also maintain the proper meshing relationship between the racks and pinions. The tendency of the far end of the rams 16 and 17 to move upwardly is prevented by independent pairs of hold-down rollers 34, the rollers for one ram being shown in FIGURES 2 and 5, where it will be noted they are attached to the base directly over the pinions 32 and arranged to engage the upper surfaces of the flanges 19.

A common reversible drive is provided for simultaneously rotating the arbors 24a and hence the pinions 32 to move the racks 33 and rams 16 and 17 in unison in a longitudinal direction. As shown in FIGURE 1 the drive consists of a motor-gear reduction assembly 35 having two output shafts connected to the arbors 24a by spindles 36 by means of couplings 37.

With reference now to FIGURES 2, 3 and 5, it will be noted that the side guard head is rigidly attached to a pair of carriages 38 and '39, which in turn are carried and guided by pairs of rollers 41 attached to the carriages adjacent. the side guard head 15, which rollers engage the flanges 18 of the rams 16 and 17. The inner or drive end of each carriage is supported by a pair of rollers 42 rotatably secured thereto and made up of an arbor 42a having spaced collars 43 located at each side of a pinion 44 formed on the arbor 42a. Meshing with the pinion is an elongated rack 45 aflixed to the upper surface of .the ram flange 18. The rack 45 is. constructed with longitudinally extending support surfaces for engagement with the collars 43. To assure that the meshing relationship. between the racks and pinions is maintained 4 at all times, each carriage is provided with two hold down rollers 46 which engage the underside of the rams flange 18, which construction is best shown in FIGURES 4 and 5. As best shown in FIGURE 5 each of the rollers 46 are secured to downwardly projecting sides of the carriages 38 and 39.

For guiding each of the carriages in a longitudinal direction on their respective rams, as can be seen in referring to FIGURE 5, guide plates 47 are attached to the carriages so as to engage the vertical surfaces of the upper flanges 18. Longitudinal movement of the carriages is obtained by employing two piston cylinder assemblies 48 and 49, mounted on the rams 16 and \17, respectively, with their rod ends secured to the respective carriages 38 and 39. A synchronizing shaft 51 interconnecting the rollers 42 assures rotation of the pinions 44 in unison and hence synchronous movement between the carriages 38 and 39.

Operation of the piston cylinder assemblies 48 and 49 may be affected by a fluid control circuit illustrated schematically at the upper right-hand portion of FIGURE 2. In this circuit, a pump 52 is connected to a tank 53 by a line 54. A delivery line from the pump conducts fluid to a control valve 55 which directs the fluid to either of two lines 56 and 57. The lines 56 and 57 are connected respectively to the rod and back ends of each piston cylinder assembly 48 and 49. Placed in the line 57 is a relief valve 58 to which is connected a drain line '59 that communicates with the tank 53. It is to be pointed out that the relief valve 58 functions to control the magnitude of fluid pressure in the line 57, which feature is employed relative to the jamming of the manipulator now to be explained.

FIGURES 1, 2 and 3 best show the manipulator employed to rotate a workpiece prior to passage in a rolling mill. With particular reference to FIGURE 3, there is shown one of a plurality of manipulating fingers 61 vertically arranged in slots provided in the side guard head 15. The lower ends of each of the manipulating fingers have horizontally stepped projections 62 to engage and raise one corner of a workpiece when it is desired to turn it. The upper end of the manipulating fingers are connected to links 63 which are keyed to a longitudinally extending torque shaft 64 rotatably carried by the side guard head 15. As best shown in FIGURE 2, torque arms 65 keyed to the torque shaft 64 transmitsto the manipulat- ,ing fingers the driving torque produced by piston cylinder assemblies 66 and 67, each of which is attached to the upper surfaces of and carried respectively by the carriages 38 and 39. It is to be appreciated that with the respect to the piston cylinder assemblies 66 and 67, if desired, a similar pressure controlled circuit as employed in cooperation with the piston cylinder assemblies 48 and 49 can be provided.

A brief description of the illustrated embodiment of the present invention will be now given.

When it is desired to position a workpiece located on the mill table 11, say for example, to coincide with one of a plurality of passes of the rolling mill, the drive 35 is operated to position the side guard head 14 by longitudinallly moving the ram-s 16 and 17. The side guard head 15 is also positioned by the synchronized operation of the piston cylinder assemblies 48 and 49 causing movement of the side guard head 15 relative to the rams. In this manner, a workpiece located on the roller table 11 may be positioned by selectively employing either or both of the side guard heads. In the event it is desired to turn a workpiece on the table '11, then the side guards are positioned closely adjacent to each side of the workpiece. The piston cylinder assemblies 66 and 67 are operated to vertically raise the manipulator fingers 61 suflicient to permit the stepped ends 63 to raise one corner of the workpiece causing it to be turned from its original position. After the turning has been completed, the piston cylinder assemblies '66 and 67 are reversed to relocate the manipulator fingers in their inoperative positions below the upper surfaces of the rollers 12. After this, if necessary, the side guards are operated, as indicated above, to position the workpiece on the table 11 relative to a particular mill pass.

As heretofore indicated, it is the usual practice when rolling beams and the like not to employ the side guards or manipulator. In the event that such products are to be rolled, the drive '35 is operated to move the side guard head 14 to the extreme right of the table '11 as one views FIGURE 2. Since the side guard 15 and the carriages 38 and 39 are carried by the rams 16 and 17 they will be automatically withdrawn to the right-hand side of the table to the inoperative position shown in full lines in FIGURE 2.

As previously noted, one of the most significant advantages of mounting the carriages 38 and 39 and side guard head 15 on the rams 16 and 17 to which the piston cylinder assemblies 48 and 49 are also attached is that there is obtained a self-contained force system. In this manner the forces imposed on the head 15 as well as those imposed on the head 14 are taken by the rams, and since the forces will be equal and opposite they are neutralized and not imposed on the rack 33 and pinions 32.

Moreover, in providing a yieldable means in the form of the cylinders 48 and 49 and relief valve 58, upon a workpiece becoming jammed between the fingers 61 and the side guard 14 the relief valve will allow the fluid to be discharged from'the cylinders. This, in turn, will allow the side guard head 15 to move away fromthe head .14 and thus avoid possible damage to the elements of the apparatus.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explained the principle and operation of our invention and have illustrated and described what we consider to represent the best embodiment thereof. However, we desire to have it understood that within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. In combination with a means for supporting a workpiece, an apparatus for engaging and moving a worpiece supported by said workpiece supporting means comprismg:

a first head having a surface adapted to engage one surface of the workpiece,

movable supporting means for said first head,

a second head having a surface adapted to engage a second surface of a workpiece,

a carriage to which said second head is secured for movement therewith, said carriage adapted to be supported by said movable supporting means and movable relative thereto,

means for moving said movable supporting means relative to said workpiece supporting means to move said heads relative to a workpiece supported by said workpiece supporting means, and

means carried by said movable supporting means for moving said second head relative to said first head.

2. An apparatus, according to claim 1 including a base on which said movable supporting means is slidably carried,

said base located on one side of said workpiece supporting means and so constructed as to allow both of said heads to be retracted entirely away from said workpiece supporting means.

3. An apparatus, according to claim 1, in which said means for moving said carriage comprises a fluid force generating means,

means for controlling the pressure in the fluid in said force generating means to allow said carriage and hence said second head to move away from a workpiece in the event the pressure between said second head and the workpiece upon engagement therewith exceeds the controlled pressure.

4. In an apparatus, according to claim 1, a workpiece manipulating finger carried by said carriage having a portion for engaging a workpiece to assist in turning the workpiece about its longitudinal axis, and

means carried by said carriage for moving said finger relative to a workpiece.

5. An apparatus according to claim 1 in which said means for supporting said first head includes an elongated ram,

a base for slidably supporting said ram,

a gear arrangement carried by said base for moving said ram relative thereto,

said ram being so arranged relative to said gear arrangement and back of said head that simultaneous forces imposed on said head are self-contained within said rams and are not imposed upon said gear arrangement.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 865,047 9/1907 Kennedy 214-1 1,220,754 3/1917 Kennedy 214-1 1,657,286 1/1928 Smitmans 2141 1,783,815 12/1930 Smitmans 214-1 1,810,684 6/1931 Smitmans 2141 CHARLES W. LANHAM, Primary Examiner.

H. D. HOINKES, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN COMBINATION WITH A MEANS FOR SUPPORTING A WORKPIECE, AN APPARATUS FOR ENGAGING AND MOVING A WORKPIECE SUPPORTED BY SAID WORKPIECE SUPPORTING MEANS COMPRISING: A FIRST HEAD HAVING A SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE ONE SURFACE OF THE WORKPIECE, MOVABLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR SAID FIRST HEAD, A SECOND HEAD HAVING A SURFACE ADAPTED TO ENGAGE A SECOND SURFACE OF A WORKPIECE, A CARRIAGE TO WHICH SAID SECOND HEAD IS SECURED FOR MOVEMENT THEREWITH, SAID CARRIAGE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED BY SAID MOVABLE SUPPORTING MEANS AND MOVABLE RELATIVE THERETO, MEANS FOR MOVING SAID MOVABLE SUPPORTING MEANS RELATIVE TO SAID WORKPIECE SUPPORTING MEANS TO MOVE SAID HEADS RELATIVE TO A WORKPIECE SUPPORTED BY SAID WORK PIECE SUPPORTING MEANS, AND MEANS CARRIED BY SAID MOVABLE SUPPORTING MEANS FOR MOVING SAID SECOND HEAD RELATIVE TO SAID FIRST HEAD. 